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IUCN - CMP Classification of Direct Threats to the Conservation of Ecosystems & Species, v 4.0
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*** This version has been submitted for formal publication -
it is subject to change so please do not use yet for 'production' work***
Annotated Guide to Review Tab
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The following tab contains the latest version of the IUCN Red List - Conservation Measures Partnership (CMP) Classification of Direct Threats to the Conservation of Ecosystems and Species. This classification is designed to provide a simple, hiearchical, comprehensive, consistent, expandable, exclusive and scalable classification of all direct threats to biodiversity (see below for explanation of these criteria).
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Threats are one of the most important concepts in conservation practice. In the Open Standards for the Practice of Conservation, v. 4.0 (CMP, 2020), direct threats are defined as current or future human activities or altered natural phenomena that impact one or more ecosystems or species of interest. Examples of direct threats include illegal fishing that affects a shark population, legal logging that affects a downstream coral reef ecosystem, or climate change-linked sea-level rise that affects a mangrove ecosystem. Direct threats are the critical interface through which human socioeconomic systems impact and change natural systems and are thus also the direct or indirect target of many conservation actions. It is important to note that this classification technically only lists the human actions that potentially could be threats to targets of interest. It does NOT describe the actors or the targets themselves. It should also be noted that this classification explicitly does not try to incorporate ways of assessing the magnitude (scope and severity) of a given threat.
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History and an Explanation of Version Numbering
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This classification system is rooted in work done in the early 2000s. In 2007, IUCN and CMP released version 1.0 of this classification. This draft was then updated slightly in Version 1.1 which was published in Conservation Biology 22: 897-911.
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Given that this classification is now an international standard that is used to code data, we cannot change it too frequently. On the other hand, we do need to update this to take into account new information and learning. To this end, the CMP convened a task force in 2013 to review and amend the previous draft. This work resulted in CMP's Version 2.0 which was officialy published in 2015. CMP's Version 2.0 was reviewed by the IUCN Red List, but was not formally adopted by them for various technical reasons. Instead, the IUCN Red List produced a series of updated versions of their threat classification, culminating in Version 3.3 in 2022.
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Starting in 2022, IUCN and CMP convened a joint task force to once again consider revisions to the classification. We reviewed existing uses of previous versions, reviwed other classifications that have been developed, consulted with numerous practitioners around the world, and went through an extensive comment and feedback process, resulting in this latest version. Because we are now re-unifying the IUCN and CMP versions, we are producing this as Version 4.0 Alpha. This means that CMP has 'skipped' having a Version 3.0. Although we feel that this Version 4.0 classification has substantial improvements over previous versions and should be used where possible, these earlier versions are still valid classification schemes that can be used where relevant. We have also provided "track changes" versions showing the edits from this Version 4.0 to CMP Version 2.0.
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What's New in Version 4.0 Alpha
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The Direct Threats classification has undergone some fundamental changes from previous versions. In particular:
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•New Level 0 Threat Classes - We have grouped the existing Level 1 Threat 'orders' into three higher level 'classes' that highlight the similarities amongst the threats in each of these classes:
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A.Use of Lands & Waters
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B.Use / Management of Ecosystems & Species
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C.Additional Sources of Stress
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•Revisions to Level 1 Threat Names - We have not made many substantive changes to the Level 1 Threat orders, but have revised some of their names to clarify what they include. The one exception is:
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+Demoted v2 10. Geological Events to 10.1 Geological Events within the new Level 1 order 10. Natural Disasters
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•Additions & Mergers of Level 2 Threats - We have made some substantive changes to some of the Level 2 threats (as well as clarification revisions to the names, definition, and exposition of other Level 2 threats not shown here):
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+Added 4.5 Fencing & Walls as a new Level 2 threat in this order.
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+Split v2 7.3 Other Ecosystem Modifications into 7.3 Earth & Sediment Management, 7.4 Weather and Climate Management and 7.5 Biological Systems Management so that this order now contains management of fire, water, earth, air, and biodiversity. This also caused a renumbering of 7.6 Removing / Reducing Human Management.
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-Merged v2 9.1 Household Sewage & Urban Waste Water, 9.2 Industrial & Military Effluents, and 9.3 Agricultural & Forestry Water-Borne Pollution into 9.1 Water-Borne & Other Effluent Pollution, and then specifying the source at Level 3. This caused a renumbering of the other Level 2 entries in this order.
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◦Moved v2 11.5 Severe / Extreme Weather Events to 10.2 Severe Weather Events as a new Level 2 threat in this order.
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-Deleted v2 11.1 Ecosystem Encroachment and merged sea-level rise into 11.3 Changes in Precipitation & Hydrological Regimes. This caused a renumbering of the other Level 2 entries in this order.
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•Addition of Systematic Level 3 Threats - Perhaps the biggest change is that we are now introducing a new Level 3 Threat classification system. This includes:
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◦New Level 3 Types - A more specific articulation of the threat. Although we have attempted to be comprehensive in our Level 3 Threat Types, it is quite probable that additional types will need to be added in the coming years and/or types will need to be refined and amended.
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◦New Level 3 Modifiers - Optional dimensions that can be applied to the types; these are tailored for each threat order.
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◦Revised Examples - We have made some revisions to the specific (non-comprehensive) examples for each threat category. These should be regarded as 'specific' examples of the 'generic' Level 3 threat types.
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Criteria for the Ideal Direct Threats Classification
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There is no one "right" classification system. Instead, we attempted to develop a system that optimizes the following criteria:
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Simple - Uses clear language and examples / understandable by practitioners
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•Hierarchical - Creates a logical way of grouping items that are related to one another to facilitate use of the classification and meaningful analyses at different levels
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Comprehensive - Contains all possible items, at least at higher levels of the hierarchy
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Consistent - Ensures that entries at a given level of the classification are of the same type
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Expandable - Enables new items to be added to the classification if they are discovered
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Exclusive - Allows any given item to only be placed in one cell within the hierarchy
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Scalable - Permits the same terms to be used at all geographic scales
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